Japan and Southeast Asia Take Stock of China’s Rise – The Irrawaddy
February 20th, 2010
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17856
As China’s economic and political rise makes itself felt in Asia, Japan and Southeast Asia face serious foreign policy dilemmas in the coming years.
In 1990, Japan’s economy was double the size of the rest Asia combined, as the country looked set to challenge America’s global economic primacy. After two decades of flat performance, however, this has changed. Some projections claim that China is already the second largest economy in the world, having overtaken Japan, and others predict that the Chinese economy will be 5-6 times larger than Japan’s within the next 40-50 years.
Adding to concerns about Japan’s position in Asia is recent friction in its relationship with its most important ally, the United States. Despite wrangles between Tokyo and Washington over naval bases and troop deployment in Japan, however, the alliance between the two countries is steady and remains crucial to security in the wider region, Prof Takashi Shiraishi, currently a member of the Japanese cabinet office, told a forum at Chulalongkorn University.
Supporting this view is the fact that distrust of China still outweighs Japanese public resentment of the US presence. According to opinion polls, more than half the population have a negative opinion of China. Prof Kitti Prasirtsuk, a Thai academic based at Thammasat University who specializes in Japanese politics, said that there is a growing wariness in Japan of Beijing’s longer-term strategic intentions. (more…)
China-US Rivalry Intensifies – The Irrawaddy
February 15th, 2010
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17812
With the Dalai Lama set to meet President Obama later this week, more political fireworks can be expected just days after the Chinese New Year. US-China relations have been stormy over recent weeks, with Beijing and Washington trading barbs over Taiwan and Google, disagreeing over policy on Iran, North Korea, and bickering over exchange rates, among a range of contentious political and economic issues.
But the officially atheist politburo in Beijing might take it as an auspicious sign that this is the Year of the Tiger. China has fared relatively well amid the global economic downturn, and with the US bogged down with wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Obama’s domestic reform agenda running into sand, Beijing might want to test American mettle as the perceived gap between the two countries narrows.
Obama dodged a bullet when shunning an opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama last year. But one year into an administration that has been dogged by accusations of softness and conflicting signals in foreign policy, a meeting with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader will add to Obama’s attempt at an image makeover. (more…)
Assessing the US-Asean summit – The Irrawaddy
November 19th, 2009
http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17251
BANGKOK — The meeting between US President Barack Obama and his Asean counterparts has been mostly well-received, though some misgivings remain.
Obama made a much-anticipated call for the unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma’s political prisoners during the hour-long summit, apparently reiterating language used during a speech given in Tokyo on Saturday, where he said that the Burmese junta needed to take “clear steps” toward democracy, including the unconditional release of all political prisoners, an end to conflicts with minority groups and a “genuine dialogue” with the opposition and minorities on a “shared vision for the future.”
Burmese opposition groups and political prisoners have backed the move, with Suu Kyi now asking for a meeting with Sen-Gen Than Shwe, the junta strongman, to discuss possible ways to get US sanctions on Burma relaxed. (more…)
Obama tells Thein Sein release Suu Kyi, but Asean differences remain – The Irrawaddy
November 15th, 2009
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17221
US President Barack Obama asks the Burmese junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners, signaling differences between Asean and US, after the joint US-Asean statement omits the request
SINGAPORE — US President Barack Obama made a personal request to the Burmese junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners, signaling that there is different view between Association of Southeast Asian Nations and US.
Speaking to media after the inaugural US-Asean summit in Singapore today Obama said, “I reaffirmed the policy that I put forward yesterday in Tokyo with regard to Burma.”
On Saturday, Obama offered Burma the prospect of better ties with Washington if it pursued democratic reform and freed political prisoners, including Suu Kyi.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs also told the reporters that Obama raised the issue “directly” with Burmese prime minister Gen Thein Sein. The meeting was the first time a US President has sat with Burmese leader since 1966, and comes as part of the new US policy on Burma, which includes dialogue as well as retaining sanctions.
However, a 27-point joint US-Asean statement released after the meeting does not request Suu Kyi’s release, with Burma accounting for one item under the headline “Enhanced Partnership for Enduring Peace and Prosperity”. (more…)
US-Asean Drop Call to free Suu Kyi? – The Irrawaddy
November 15th, 2009
http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17220
SINGAPORE –– An advance copy of the post-summit statement by the US and Southeast Asian countries fails to call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners in Burma, despite President Barack Obama making a personal plea for the release of the pro-democracy icon in Tokyo on Saturday.
The US sought the inclusion of wording calling on the junta to “help create the conditions for credible elections, including by releasing political prisoners and initiating a dialogue with political parties and ethnic minority groups,” but the line was not included in the final joint draft, according to The Associated Press, which obtained a copy of the statement to be issued by the US-Association of Southeast Asia Nations (Asean) Summit. (more…)
Obama to meet with Myanmar rulers – The Washington Times
November 15th, 2009
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/15/obama-to-meet-with-myanmar-rulers/
Visit marks major change in US policy
By Matthew Mosk and Simon Roughneen
ASSOCIATED PRESS DIPLOMATIC TOUR: President Obama speaks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Saturday in Singapore, a stop that will include talks with Myanmar's leaders.
SINGAPORE | President Obama on Sunday will become the first American president in more than 40 years to attend a meeting with the repressive rulers of Myanmar, marking a dramatic shift in the U.S. approach to bringing change to a regime that responds brutally to dissent, locks up journalists and political opponents, and has kept itself largely walled off from the Western world.
Formerly known as Burma, Myanmar has for years played the role of skunk in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, repeatedly preventing the group from attracting participation from the United States. But Mr. Obama came to office promising to extend an open hand to rogue states in the hopes of changing the dynamics.
“The policies of the international community have not in two decades produced positive results,” said Jeffrey Bader, a special assistant to the president for national security. “One definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome. Twenty years is long enough.”
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced in February that the U.S. was reviewing its policy toward Myanmar, saying that neither sanctions nor engagement – the preferred policy of Myanmar’s neighbors – had nudged the military rulers toward democratic reforms. The new American policy was announced in late September, described as a carrot-and-stick effort, with the U.S. agreeing to talk to the junta and to relax sanctions if conditions are met.
The outreach to Myanmar has come in a series of steps, starting with a visit by Sen. Jim Webb, Virginia Democrat, in August, followed by the recent trip by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Kurt M. Campbell, the first by a high-ranking U.S. official since then-U.N. Ambassador Madeleine K. Albright went to the country in 1995.
Now comes the meeting in Singapore, which the U.S. has touted as the most dramatic display of its change in policy. Host Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he expects concerns about Myanmar to be discussed at the ASEAN session, though Scot Marciel, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said he does not anticipate any direct talks between Mr. Obama and junta Prime Minister Gen. Thein Sein. (more…)
What’s on the Cards When Obama Meets Thein Sein? – The Irrawaddy
November 14th, 2009
http://irrawaddy.org/highlight.php?art_id=17219&Submit=Submit
SINGAPORE — Continuing with the latest in a series of image-rebuilding foreign policy speeches, US President Barack Obama proclaimed himself “America’s first Pacific President” in Tokyo earlier today.
His address touched on a wide array of issues, from the US-Japan alliance to China’s emerging global clout and North
US President Barack Obama delivers a speech in Tokyo on Saturday. (Photo: AP)
Korean nuclear ambitions. Foreshadowing his meeting with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Singapore tomorrow, Obama also said that Washington’s new policy of talking to Burma’s military junta does not mean an end to sanctions, unless “there are concrete steps toward democratic reform.”
Tomorrow’s inaugural US-Asean summit will see the first meeting between a US president and a Burmese leader since Lyndon Johnson met Gen Ne Win in Washington in 1966. Ahead of tomorrow’s meeting, Obama reiterated the need for the junta to free political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and to have “genuine dialogue” with the opposition and ethnic minority groups.
Making a subtle overture to the junta, which is thought to shy from reform due to a belief that only the military can hold the country together, Obama said that democratic reform can bring Burma “true security and prosperity.”
While the US-Asean meeting will encompass discussions on trade and growing Chinese influence in Southeast Asia, Obama is expected to raise Burma with the ten Asean leaders, who will include Burmese Prime Minister Gen Thein Sein among their number.
Speaking in Singapore earlier this week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked that China, India and Asean chair Thailand collaborate with the US in trying to bring about change in Burma.
Obama needs to take the opportunity tomorrow to advocate for a more forceful Asean policy in Burma—a move that would be welcomed by Burmese exiles and opposition groups. Obama “should urge Asean to echo the US view that without the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, the 2010 elections will not be recognized as credible,” Aung Din, the executive director of the US Burma Campaign, told The Irrawaddy. (more…)
Obama Says Release Suu Kyi, but Rights Whispers Grow – The Irrawaddy
November 14th, 2009
http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17218
SINGAPORE — Speaking in Tokyo this morning, US President Barack Obama called on Burma’s military rulers to release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, saying it was a precondition for any softening of sanctions against the country’s military junta.
Obama said Burma needed to take “clear steps” toward democracy, including the unconditional release of all political prisoners, an end to conflicts with minority groups and a “genuine dialogue” with the opposition and minorities on a “shared vision for the future.”
Obama also pledged to raise human rights issues with the Communist leadership in Beijing, attempting to head off concerns that his administration was taking a soft line in countries such as Iran, Sudan and Zimbabwe, as well as in China and Burma.
However, to avoid angering Beijing, he did not mention Tibet. Obama recently came under fire from human rights advocates for refusing to meet Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Washington. (more…)
Obama to Seek Suu Kyi’s Release – The Irrawaddy
November 10th, 2009
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17185&Submit=Submit
US President Barack Obama will seek Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s release when he meets leaders of the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Singapore this weekend. In keeping with a long-standing US policy, Obama will ask that the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who led the National League for Democracy (NLD) to victory in Burma’s last general election in 1990, be freed “in the context of all political prisoners,” according to senior US official Jeffrey Bader.
“He will probably mention her by name,” said the US senior director for Asian affairs.
The Obama administration has initiated a policy of “engagement” with the ruling junta in Burma, acknowledging that the previous sanctions-only policy had failed to promote democratic reforms, but reminding that “engagement” by itself—the preferred policy of Burma’s fellow Asean member-states—had been equally unsuccessful.
However, speaking in Bangkok last week after a two-day visit to Burma, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of East Asia and Pacific Bureau Scott Marciel acknowledged that the US “still does not know why the junta wants to talk to us at this juncture.”
One the surface, there seems to be some synchronization between US and Burmese official public statements. (more…)
US Expects Slow Progress in Burma – The Irrawaddy
November 5th, 2009
http://irrawaddy.org/highlight.php?art_id=17159
The US wants Suu Kyi and the NLD to participate in the 2010 election but does not expect quick concessions from the junta.
Scott Marciel fields questions at Chulalongkorn University earlier today (Photo: Simon Roughneen)
Scott Marciel, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said in Bangkok on Thursday morning that the Burmese junta is unlikely to make any concessions anytime soon.
“We did not anticipate that one visit to Burma would resolve all the country’s problems,” he said.
Marciel, who is US ambassador for Asean affairs, concluded his remarks, saying, “It would be very hard to see an election without Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy [NLD] as credible.”
Marciel noted that the junta has recently dropped hints about a relaxation of Suu Kyi’s house arrest. Suu Kyi is currently under 18 months house arrest and is constitutionally barred from running for office due to her marriage to a British academic.
“Ultimately,” he said, “they can either free her, or keep her locked up. They should just free her, end of story.”
Marciel accompanied Kurt Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia, who led the US delegation on its two-day visit to Burma, where it met with Aung San Suu Kyi, a variety of opposition and ethnic group leaders and Burmese Prime Minister Gen Thein Sein.
Describing the visit as “an exploratory mission, to explain our policy review and to hear from Burmese,” Marciel said he does not know why the junta wants to engage with the US at this juncture. (more…)
